Nov. 15, 2012

The Warrior Rock Lighthouse proudly stands on the northern tip of Sauvie Island. / Eric Gjonnes | Special to the Statesman Journal

Written by

Eric Gjonnes

Trail Time

If you go

Where: Warrior Rock Lighthouse on Sauvie Island General area: Between Portland and the town of St. Helens Driving distance: 60 miles or about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Salem Directions: Leave Salem on Interstate 5 N for 45 miles. Just south of downtown Portland, stay to the left to get on Interstate 405. Drive two miles and take Exit 3 to Highway 30 West toward the town of St. Helens. Drive 9.5 miles, then turn right at traffic signal onto NW Sauvie Island Road. Cross the bridge, and the Cracker Barrel Grocery is on your left where required parking permits for the Wildlife Area are sold. After the store, continue on NW Sauvie Island Road for two miles. Turn right at Y intersection onto NW Reeder Road. You will pass through two Y intersections, but watch for signs and stay on Reeder Road for a total of 11.2 miles until the third Collins Beach sign appears on your right and parking on the left. After Collins Beach, continue down Reeder Road for two more miles until it dead ends in the Warrior Rock Lighthouse parking area. Small car access: Yes Fees: $7 daily or $22 annually. Parking permit is required at both locations and strictly enforced. Permits can be purchased at the Cracker Barrel Grocery Store in route. Hike distance: 6.5 miles round trip Difficulty: Easy Elevation gain: 0 feet Season: Year round Kids: Yes Dogs: Must be on leash at all times in wildlife preserve Maps: Download for free at: www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/visitors/sauvie_island/sauvie_island_map.pdfor can be purchased at the Cracker Barrel for 25 cents. Contact: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, (503) 621-3488, or go to www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/visitors/sauvie_island/index.asp

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Last Saturday, my wife and I dropped off the kids at their cousins’ house and headed to Sauvie Island for a romantic walk together. What could possibly be more romantic than a beach walk that leads to a little-known 1930s lighthouse?

We really didn’t know what to expect from this hike because it is situated so closely to the big city of Portland. Would it be crowded, over used or just plain too established and surrounded by the modern world?

As we approached Sauvie Island, we were pleased to see quite the opposite. We were surrounded by big rolling hills covered in autumn colors, farm lands, house boats on the Columbia River, the Sauvie Island Wildlife Preserve and a great assortment of birds both big and small. In fact, we saw our first ever flock of sandhill cranes fly overhead.

We had a little exploration to do before beginning the Warrior Rock Lighthouse trail. We parked at the third Collins Beach sign (look for the No. 3 on the top left corner of the sign post) and walked less than 100 yards to the beautiful sandy, but “clothing optional” beach. Oh, don’t worry, it would take a pretty hardcore beachgoer to be in the “a la natural” this time of year.

We turned right again, and after another 100 yards, we spotted the ship wreck we were looking for just inside the tree line. It was the single most bizzare, yet fascinating thing I had ever seen. It looked more like a UFO than a boat. I won’t give any more details because you have got to see it for yourself to believe it. Apparently, it mysteriously washed ashore in the 1980s and has been resting there ever since.

After taking tons of pictures of this ship spectacle, we jumped in the car and drove two miles to the end of the same road. We quickly identified the trailhead and followed it to the fresh-water beach on the Columbia River. This was the best of both worlds for us ... my wife loves going to the beach, but I avoid it because I can’t stand the smell of the ocean.

We marveled at the giant osprey nests on top of the pilings as we enjoyed walking the sandy beach for less than a half mile. As the beach narrows toward its end, we veered to the left onto the embankment where we found an old service road that paralleled the river. Soon we were enveloped in a beautiful yellow-leaf cottonwood forest that occasionally opened up to grassy meadows, lazy ponds and glimpses of the river.

We were soothed by the croonings of nature and its wildlife but were startled more than once by the thunderous sounds of waterfowl hunting in the distance. No need for concern however, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife assured me earlier on the phone that there was no danger to hikers here. After three miles on this wooded path, the Warrior Rock Lighthouse came into view.

This picturesque little lighthouse is now perched on the rocky tip of the island where more than a hundred Chinook Indians in full war regalia met some of the first European explorers in 1792. The lighthouse was originally built in 1889 but later replaced by a 28-foot concrete structure in the 1930s. It was struck by a barge in 1969, badly damaging the foundation, bell and lighting system. The foundation and fireplace of the station keeper’s home still is intact in the trees just behind the lighthouse. There is a picnic table there as well where we ate lunch while watching ocean-bound ships pass by.

Eric Gjonnes is a long-distance hiker, snowshoer, and mountaineer who lives in Salem. He shares area trails with readers twice a month. He hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail (2,652 miles) and Appalachian Trail (2,1,84 miles) with his 12-year-old daughter. Read more about his adventures at TrailJournals.com/sunshine2012at.

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